Yesterday’s announcement for 1,500 more settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem took a lot of people by surprise. Israel usually staggers such announcements so they can finish diplomatic damage control on the one before announcing another, and the dispute over E1 is still fresh in everyone’s minds. It seems this is just the new normal for Israel heading into the election.

That’s because the Interior Ministry is now reporting that its panel didn’t finish with the 1,500, and in fact is going to keep meeting throughout the week to rubber stamp expansions in two more settlements in East Jerusalem, making this week’s announcements up to 6,000 units.